Prayers offered: Both deities enshrined here are associated
with water. Benzaiten is also considered a deity of “all things that flow” and
as such, she is prayed to by performers, writers and artists.

Best time to go: Tenkawa has its busiest season in summer
with climbers and shugendo practitioners.The Yoshino mountains offer refreshing relief from the sweltering
Japanese summer. Also good to visit in April for the cherry blossoms or November for
the fall color.

Haiden with unique isuzu bell

Important physical features: Located in the Yoshino
mountains south of Kyoto and Nara, Tenkawa Jinja is located along the Ten no kawa
River ("river of heaven") in Tenkawa Village, near the pilgrimage route that leads over
the Omine mountain range to Hongu Taisha in Kumano. Mt. Misen, near the
northern end of the range where a small shrine is located, is considered the inner sanctuary (Okunoin) of Tenkawa Jinja. The Yoshino-Omine mountains and Tenkawa Village are renown for their natural beauty, especially the area around the nearby Mitarai Ravine, featuring massive rock formations, waterfalls and clear streams. Tenkawa Village encompasses valleys and peaks from 440m to as high as 1,915m above sea level.The main shrine is accessed by several stone stairways that rise up between tall
cedars and oaks. The honden of the shrine is in the nagare-zukuri style with
chigi and katsuogi. It is raised well above ground level and accessed by broad and steep wooden stairs. The haiden is open sided with a tall pitched roof and a stage for Noh and other performances built into the space. Lanterns are hung
under the eaves in front of the honden in a sign of one of the many Buddhist influences. In fact the design is a bit reminiscent of Kibitsu Jinja in Okayama where the haiden is a very interesting, semi-interior space.

Tenkawa reitaisai saitōgoma

Important spiritual features: This area has been closely
associated with the shugendo religion that incorporates elements and beliefs from Shinto, Buddhism (mikkyo), Taoism, and onmyodo (yin-yang), and shugenja were instrumental in the amalgamation of Shinto and Buddhist faith called shinbutsu shugyo. The aim of the shugenja is to obtain great powers for use in spiritual and physical healing, and to achieve Kobo Daishi's ideal of becoming "a Buddha in this body" or in other words, an enlightened being. Ascetic practice in the mountains is the method of achieving this goal. For a more detailed explanation of the sect, please see my book Shinto Shrines; A Guide to the Sacred Sites of Japan's Ancient Religion. The figure
considered the epitome if not the founder of shugendo, En no Gyoja (also called En no Ozunu), meditated
and had many revelations in the Omine mountains where practitioners continue to
walk in his steps even today. He lived in the seventh century and is
mentioned in the Shoku Nihongi as living on Mt. Katsuragi well to the north of
Yoshino. He is described as a practitioner of magic and as one who
controlled demons and had them do his bidding. It is also reported that he was
exiled to Izu under some false charge. Only in later centuries was he connected
with shugendo and Mt. Kinpu in the Yoshino area, which had become an important
center of ascetic training. It is from this later time that the stories of his
meeting with Zao Gongen and the Tenkawa Benzaiten arose. While belief in Benzaiten is imported by way of Buddhism and mentioned in the “Golden Light Sutra”, belief in
Ichikishimahime no mikoto is native to Japan. This is one of the female kami of
Munakata Taisha in Kyushu, children of Susano-o and Amaterasu Omikami, associated with water and
especially the protection of shipping. The three kami are also enshrined at
Itsukshima Jinja, founded in 593, on the island of Miyajima in Hiroshima. That island also contains a famous Mt. Misen where Kobo Daishi did ascetic practices. Both Ichikishimahime and Benzaiten have been
associated with water and this probably led to the deities being identified with each other. However after the Meiji separation of Shinto and Buddhism, Shrines were forced to disassociate from any Buddhist influence so Benzaiten worship was delegated to Buddhist temples (such as Daiganji temple on Miyajima) and shrines were forced to substitute Ichikishimahime or some other deity associated with water. The fact that this Shinto shrine continues to worship Benzaiten alongside of Ichikishimahime, perhaps reflects the fact that the integrated religion, which was such a strong feature in the lives of the people of these mountains from the sixth to the nineteenth centuries, retains some vestige of that strength. The shrines rituals also include shugendo rites which were outlawed by the Meiji government.

In one respect, it is difficult to speak about the
significance of one shrine or temple in this part of Japan, which is known for pilgrimage to
multiple sights. Along with the Kumano Sanzan in the south of the Kii
Peninsula, Koyasan to the west, and Ise Jingu to the east, this area is now recognized by UNESCO as a
World Heritage Site called the “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii
Mountain Range.” Strictly speaking, Tenkawa is not included in this group.
Instead, Ominesan-ji, a shugendo temple also located in Tenkawa Village
on top of Mt. Omine, said to be founded by En no Gyoja and enshrining Zao
Gongen, is included. In recent times, Tenkawa Jinja has been a
focus of the New Age Movement, as well as musicians and performers from around
the world interested in the energy perceived to be emanating from sacred sites such as this.

Description: Tenkawa Jinja (also known as Tenkawa Dai
Benzaiten Jinja) is located below Mt Misen with its Okunomiya on top of the
mountain. Tenkawa Village is the entrance to Omine range, parts of which are
off limits to women. Some distance to the east of this range lies Ise Jingu—the
spiritual home of Shinto—and to the west lies Mt. Koya, home of the Shingon
sect—one of the principle sects of Japanese Buddhism. Tenkawa lies in the Yoshino-Kumano National Park at the beginning
of the Okugakemichi pilgrimage route that all members of the shugendo sect (also called yamabushi) are required to walk as part of their ascetic
practice. The route begins in Gojo City in Nara and continues to Shingu City in Wakayama. These men continue to walk the mountains in search of enlightenment
and mystical power, as did their famous founder En no Gyoja. Tenkawa (“river of
heaven”) worship is deeply rooted in the waters flowing from Mt. Misen, which is associated in Buddhist cosmology with Mt. Sumeru. From this
heavenly mountain, water flows in the four directions, sustaining life on the
earth below. So too these early mountains have attracted ascetics with the
promise of rebirth and enlightenment. In present times, Itsukushima, Chikubushima, and Enoshima are considered the "big three" sites for the worship of Benzaiten, but Tenkawa was long considered to be included in this group. But it does not take a search for enlightenment
to enjoy the environment along the Ten no kawa River. A dramatically long and narrow suspension bridge crosses the river,
offering spectacular views. Or walk along the beautiful Mitarai valley with its
abundant summer greenery, autumn leaves, and lush waterfalls. The current
shrine buildings were rebuilt in 1989 and opened with a concert by New Age
musician Osamu Kitajima and others. Brian Eno and Haruomi Hosono (of Yellow
Magic Orchestra fame) have also given concerts here. Tenkawa has a long
association with Noh and plays are performed on a stage near the front of the inner shrine. A popular movie “Tenkawa Densetsu
Satsujin Jiken” (The Tenkawa Tradition Murder) from 1991, revolves around the killing
of several members of a family of Noh actors, in a struggle over who will
succeed as the new head of the tradition. This movie by well-known director Kon
Ichikawa, is based on one book of a series of mystery novels featuring
detective Asami Mitsuhiko, by author Yasuo Ichida. In this story the Isuzu of
Tenkawa is found next to the body of one of the victims.

Festivals: Reitaisai, 16 to 17 July.
This festival is famous for its Noh performances and for its Shugendo
ceremonies.

About This Blog

This blog is a guide to Shinto shrines throughout Japan. It is intended as a supplement to the book "Shinto Shrines: A Guide to the Sacred Sites of Japan's Ancient Religion" which I co-authored with John Dougill. The book is published by University of Hawaii Press. It is also intended as a place to continue to publish my research into shrines and their history and as a forum for those interested in Shinto in general and shrines in particular.
In addition, the letter "C" in the upper right-hand corner means that the content has been confirmed with the shrine while a "UC" means as yet unconfirmed. While a "C" does not guarantee accuracy, these entries are more likely to be free of error.
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